18 U.S. Code § 2258C - Use to combat child pornography of technical elements relating to images reported to the CyberTipline

(1) In general.— The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children may provide elements relating to any apparent child pornography image of an identified child to an electronic communication service provider or a remote computing service provider for the sole and exclusive purpose of permitting that electronic communication service provider or remote computing service provider to stop the further transmission of images.

(2) Inclusions.— The elements authorized under paragraph (1) may include hash values or other unique identifiers associated with a specific image, Internet location of images, and other technological elements that can be used to identify and stop the transmission of child pornography.

(3) Exclusion.— The elements authorized under paragraph (1) may not include the actual images.

(b) Use by Electronic Communication Service Providers and Remote Computing Service Providers.— Any electronic communication service provider or remote computing service provider that receives elements relating to any apparent child pornography image of an identified child from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children under this section may use such information only for the purposes described in this section, provided that such use shall not relieve that electronic communication service provider or remote computing service provider from its reporting obligations under section
2258A.

(c) Limitations.— Nothing in subsections [1] (a) or (b) requires electronic communication service providers or remote computing service providers receiving elements relating to any apparent child pornography image of an identified child from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to use the elements to stop the further transmission of the images.

(d) Provision of Elements to Law Enforcement.— The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shall make available to Federal, State, and local law enforcement involved in the investigation of child pornography crimes elements, including hash values, relating to any apparent child pornography image of an identified child reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

(e) Use by Law Enforcement.— Any Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency that receives elements relating to any apparent child pornography image of an identified child from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children under section [1] (d) may use such elements only in the performance of the official duties of that agency to investigate child pornography crimes.